Table of Contents
- 1 Beneficiaries
- 2 ‘Zero Caries’ Program
- 3 Benefits
- 4 News
- 5 Most common problems
- 6 Care for cancer patients
- 7 The health centers included in the free oral health plan in Córdoba
- 8 * How does the “Padia” programme address potential disparities in access to oral healthcare among different socioeconomic groups in Andalusia?
Andalusian public health has been offering different healthcare benefits for decades. oral care, but many people are still unaware that they can have this free coverage, which is why The Ministry of Health and Consumer Affairs encourages the use of these services. Dr. Federico Esparza, coordinator of the interlevel clinical management unit (UGC) of Odontostomatology and Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery of the Córdoba-Guadalquivir district, points out that The Andalusian public health system has the Andalusian Children’s Dental Care Plan (Padia), an initiative that provides basic dental care and certain special treatments free of charge to minors between 0 and 15 years of age.
Furthermore, “lThe odontostomatologists of the Andalusian Health Service (SAS) we also carry out other interventions on the adult population», he points out, which includes assistance for the most frequent oral pathologies; care for patients with oncological processes in the cervicofacial area; promotion, prevention and oral care for pregnant women, due to the oral changes that occur during pregnancy, and specific oral health care for all medically compromised people with intellectual disabilities or with a disability that limits the mobility of the upper limbs.
Beneficiaries
On the other hand, public oral care for the adult population It also covers assistance to people with severe, objective behavioral alterations. and who are not able to maintain the necessary self-control that allows adequate attention to their oral health, for which sedation or anesthesia in the hospital and oral examinations in residences for the elderly and people with disabilities are contemplated, in coordination with the nurse. case manager and center staff.
Federico Esparza, coordinator of the interlevel clinical management unit (UGC) Odontostomatology and Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery of the Córdoba-Guadalquivir district. / VICTOR CASTRO
‘Zero Caries’ Program
«We are aware of the importance of increasing participation in the Andalusian Children’s Oral Care Plan and we are working on several specific initiatives to encourage it. One of them is the creation of program Zero Cavities in Andalusia, which will have the active collaboration of public oral health teams and the collaboration of private dentists attached to Padia, along with the participation of other children’s health professionals (paediatricians, children’s nurses and school nurse representatives,” explains this coordinator. “To achieve these objectives, we will carry out awareness campaigns and promotion of the Children’s Dental Plan. Our goal is to significantly increase the rate of children served, ensuring that families are aware of the benefits and importance of early and preventive oral care,” he says.
Benefits
In Andalusia, the child and adolescent population from 6 to 15 years old is guaranteed oral care, which includes basic dental care and special treatments due to malformations or trauma of the incisor-canine group. The care provision is generally carried out, according to the free choice of the families, among the list of primary dentists, belonging to the public health system and the private sector adhering to the program. The coordinator of this UGC advances that children’s oral care has been expanded in 2024 from 0 to 15 years of age, thus complying with what is established by the National Health System.
Dr. Federico Esparza, in a SAS dental office in Córdoba. / VICTOR CASTRO
Regarding the coverage that the Padia includes, Federico Esparza specifies that Basic dental care includes an annual oral check-upwhich includes instructions and hygiene standards for maintaining oral health; correct use of fluoride and dietary recommendations to avoid cavities; sealing fissures and pits; fillings in permanent teeth; tartrectomies (provided that calculus or extrinsic pigmentations are detected); dental extractions of baby and permanent teeth when the dentist deems it appropriate, as well as care for any dental emergency. On the other hand, This free child care also includes special treatmentsdue to disorders of the inciso-canine group due to malformations or trauma.
News
Esparza highlights that, to continue bringing these resources closer to the population, some of the currently existing public cabinets will be expanded to include this benefit in newly built health centers. «It is contemplated and in the course of execution, thanks to a considerable budget item, a important improvement of public dental offices in Córdoba, which includes the renewal of dental equipment, rotating material, furniture, intraoral radiology and even orthopantomography in order to provide them with the latest technological advances,” he adds.
Most common problems
The problem that is most detected in children’s consultations is cavities. Esparza emphasizes that, with the annual review that the Padia includes, the odontostomatologist can detect and treat cavities early in the stages of tooth eruption and replacement towards permanent dentitionalthough no alteration or discomfort is perceived. On the other hand, in the adult population, what is most attended to in public health consultations are infectious or inflammatory processes that affect the oral area; dental bone trauma, wounds and lesions in the oral mucosa and acute pathology of the temporomandibular joint. Also extractions, surgical extractions and minor surgery of the oral cavity, as well as early detection of premalignant lesions, and, where appropriate, biopsy of mucosal lesions.
Care for cancer patients
On the other hand, recently, within public health oral care, a clinical examination has been incorporated in cancer patients in the cervicofacial area to determine their oral health status and the preventive and therapeutic needs that may be needed for the prevention of oral lesions derived from oncological treatment of radiotherapy or chemotherapy. TOYes, as well as, when indicated, the application of remineralizing, antiseptic and/or desensitizing substances, prior to tartrectomy if necessary for the previous treatment to be effective. “Without forgetting, a service that we have been providing for years, in close collaboration with the maxillofacial surgeons at the Reina Sofia Hospital, for the aesthetic and functional rehabilitation of the great disability that occurs as a consequence of cervicofacial oncological treatments using maxillofacial prosthesis” , underlines Federico Esparza, who especially highlights the support, in this field, of the leading Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery Service, directed by Dr. Alicia Dean, head of the UGC Interniveles.
The health centers included in the free oral health plan in Córdoba
In Andalusia, 2,627 dentists offer this free service, 230 of them in health centers. In Córdoba there are 324, of which 30 are public. The public oral offices in the province are located in the health centers of Aguilar, Baena, Benamejí, Cabra, Castro del Río, Fernán Núñez, Lucena, Montilla, Priego, Puente Genil, La Rambla and Rute, in the case of the southern area. . In the Córdoba district they are in the Aeropuerto, Huerta de la Reina, Fuensanta, Levante Sur, Poniente, Santa Rosa, and Sector Sur health centers and in the Guadalquivir district in Montoro, Bujalance, Posadas, La Carlota, Palma del Río and Fuente Palmera, while the northern area is located in the health centers of Hinojosa, Pozoblanco, Peñarroya-Pueblonuevo and Villanueva de Córdoba
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* How does the “Padia” programme address potential disparities in access to oral healthcare among different socioeconomic groups in Andalusia?
Okay, here are some open-ended questions based on the article, divided into thematic sections:
**1. Access to Oral Healthcare in Andalusia:**
* What are the biggest barriers preventing families from accessing the “Padia” programme in Andalusia?
* How can the programme better reach vulnerable populations, such as those with disabilities or language barriers?
* The article mentions “significant improvement of public dental offices.” What specific improvements are being made, and how will they impact patient care?
**2. Benefits and Challenges of the “Padia” Program:**
* What are the most successful aspects of the Padia programme? How can these successes be amplified to benefit more children?
* From a dentist’s perspective, what are the biggest challenges in implementing preventive care like fissure sealants and fluoride treatments?
* How does early intervention, such as the Zero Cavities programme, contribute to long-term oral health?
**3. Oral Health Care for Children and Adults:**
* The article mentions that cavities are the most common problem detected in children. What are the contributing factors to this issue, and what societal solutions could be explored?
* SHA focuses on both preventive and corrective care. How does SHA balance addressing immediate needs with promoting long-term oral health?
* The article highlights the importance of oral health for cancer patients. What further improvements can be made to support cancer patients undergoing radiation or chemotherapy?
**4. Future Directions and Public Policy:**
* What are the long-term goals of SHA in terms of improving oral health outcomes for the population?
* How can public health initiatives work better with private dental practices to ensure everyone has access to quality care?
* What role can education and awareness play in changing behaviors and promoting better oral hygiene practices?
Let me know if you’d like me to elaborate on any of these individuals or sections.
